For a short moment this summer my home of Santa Cruz County was in the global spotlight. The reason: A man was miraculously rescued after being lost for 10 days in the forest, found alive and well. Big outlets like the New York Times, CNN, and the BBC jumped on the story, posting photos of the hiker covered in mud, overcome with emotion as he was reunited with his family.
And while I was relieved that he’d been found safe, in my opinion, all the media outlets were missing a key point. The story wasn’t adding up. ... Someone who doesn’t know the Santa Cruz Mountains well might read that story during their morning coffee, crack a small smile at the heart-warming news, and never think about it again. But, having grown up in the area, I was left scratching my head. How on Earth does a local who is, according to the NYT, 'an experienced backpacker who has traversed other rugged regions of the United States,' get lost for 10 days?